'If his name was Lionel Messi, he'd still be able to play': Former US footballer blasts FIFA officials after Flo Balogun's red card decision

After the USA's Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday evening, which saw striker Flo Balogun being shown a red card following a challenge on an opposition player, former US footballer Alexi Lalas questioned why Argentina superstar Lionel Messi had escaped similar punishment earlier in the tournament."That is not a red card," Lalas said on the State of the Union podcast, as quoted by Goal. com.

"I understand that in the moment, it looks bad, and when you see it on video, it looks bad. But you have to have a feel and understanding of what's going on. I thought it was a crap call," he added."It should be said that if his name was Messi, as we have seen earlier in the tournament, he would still be on the field and he would still be able to play in Seattle on Monday."Balogun had a bittersweet outing in the USA's Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.While he scored a goal, he was also sent off after his tackle on Tarik Muharemovic, becoming one of the few players to score and receive a red card in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, joining the likes of Zinedine Zidane (2006 final), Ronaldinho (2002 quarter-final) and Garrincha (1962 semi-final).The striker has appeared to be one of the standout performers for the USA, having scored his third goal of the tournament.

According to Opta Analyst, he joined an elite list of players like Bert Patenaude (four goals in 1930) and Landon Donovan (three goals in 2010) as only the third USA player to score three or more goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup.Balogun will not feature in his side’s next fixture against Belgium on July 7 to secure a quarter-final spot.